mesmerize
verb
Arnold Plotnick
Did you know?
Experts can’t agree on whether Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was a quack or a genius, but all concede that the Swabian physician's name is the source of the word mesmerize. In his day, Mesmer was the toast of Paris, where he enjoyed the support of notables including Queen Marie Antoinette. He treated patients with therapeutic procedures (called, appropriately enough, mesmerism) involving what he claimed was a mysterious force termed animal magnetism. (Many believe that mesmerism was what we now call hypnotism). Accordingly, the verb mesmerize was first used to mean "to subject to mesmerism" before broadening to be synonymous with hypnotize, and later to mean "to amaze or captivate."
Examples of mesmerize in a Sentence
Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
In the '80s, KITT's diagnostic abilities and the futuristic medical gadgets in Star Trek IV mesmerized us.
—Sanath Chilakala, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
The deep alpine lake straddling the state lines of California and Nevada needs no introduction—Lake Tahoe’s sparkling, cobalt blue waters and sweeping Sierra Nevada mountain views have been mesmerizing people for centuries.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 30 Aug. 2025
Tia Ray’s mesmerizing lower register and distinctive gritty vocal texture creates intense narrative drama with an undercurrent of danger.
—Billboard China, Billboard, 29 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Mesmerize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mesmerize. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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mesmerize
transitive verb
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